Neon Genesis: Karaoke
by Mr Slayer
Summary: What happens at Asuka's surprise birthday party when a karaoke machine is involved?


TITLE: Neon Genesis: Karaoke; Book 1 - The Children 

AUTHOR: Mr_Slayer

NOTES: This is my THIRD attempt at writing a successful eva fic and I hope this to be the one that gets me going. When I began thinking about this I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would work. So if anybody has any comments or changes they wish to address to me either reply (if posted in a forum) or email me at mr_slayer65@hotmail.com and I will look over your email and be sure to add you to the pre-reader list when this fic is finally finished.

DESCRIPTION: When Shinji decides to throw a surprise party for Asuka as a birthday present the kids find themselves in a sticky situation when they drink too much sake and a karaoke machine is involved.

  
Chapter 1

Ikari Shinji wiped the dust off the kitchen table as he cleaned up for this special night. Hikari promised him that she would bring Asuka back at 6:00 PM sharp and to be sure not to tell her friend about anything. Misato also promised to be out of the house for a while. Since Shinji knew that the Major would get piss drunk and probably embarrass herself as she usually does, he thought keeping the poor woman as far away from the party as possible.

While picking up certain odds and ends that some how end up on the floor of the living room, Shinji thought about what Asuka would look like when she saw all her friends their. He was so proud of himself to have accomplished such a hard task, especially when the vibrant redhead seemed to show up whenever she was not needed. Like when she almost saw the present Shinji had gotten for her. Thankfully Pen-Pen took it from behind Shinji's back and was able to secretly hide it, this all under Asuka's perched nose. Then there was the time when Asuka almost caught him making invitations to give to all her friends. Of course he couldn't let Asuka see one, not one. But he lucked out again when she was suddenly surprise by the visit from her favorite NERV personnel, Ryouji Kaji. 

Now there was only one thing left: The birthday cake. Shinji walked over to the oven and opened it up to a lovely aroma of chocolate and caramel filled cake mix. This, according to Hikari, was Asuka's favorite cake. Hikari told Shinji that her mom used to make it when she was a little girl. After her mom's death, Asuka never was able to find anyone who could make it as good as her mom. This task was one that Shinji was more than glad to take up on.

As the final minutes ticked away for the cake to finish and for the icing, a red raspberry topping, to be put on *I know it sounds weird doesn't it :p* Shinji brought out the presents that had been hiding away in his closet of his room. The big box that Misato got for her, not telling Shinji what was in it. The cylindrical present Pen-Pen bought her and finally the perfectly wrapped square box that included Shinji's present.

When the cake finished, Shinji put on the icing, and as he was doing so, the doorbell rang. This was odd. None of the guests were supposed to arrive for another 20 minutes. When he reached the door Shinji opened to see a tired Kensuke holding a big machine in his arms followed by someone Shinji did not know.

"H-hey Shinji? Could you help me with this?" The boy laughed and Shinji helped him take it into the living room. Shinji noticed when he helped put it down that it said "Yiyamatsu Singing Machine" on the top center of it's black casing.

"A karaoke machine, Ken, where did you get this?"

The computer nerd smiled and motioned towards the boy who came with him. "Shinji, this is Carl Martin. He's an American I met while on vacation in Okinawa. He brought the karaoke machine with him when he came to visit. I thought this would bring some fun to a dull party."

"How is this party going to be dull?" Shinji asked as he walked back to finish cleaning up the kitchen.

"Think about it, Shinji. It's Asuka's birthday party. They might end up playing spin-the-bottle or something." Takes a moment to think about that. "Nah, they won't kiss any of us anyways I hope."

Shinji walked back over and greeted Carl then went back to cleaning. "Sorry if I can't be much of a host right now. Gotta clean the place up before the girls get here."

Kensuke went over to the closet where the presents were going to be hid, and put down his present with a sickening THUD! Shinji jumped and turned around to look at the laughing computer geek. "Don't worry," Kensuke implied. "It's not fragile... I think..." Then he pulled out a tape from his coat pocket. "Here's the real shocker. But this will have to wait for later."

Shinji stared down at his friend and sighed. God knowing, with Kensuke, that could be anything. Hopefully it's not one of his porno tapes. That would be an easy way to get Asuka pissed off at him. In fact, now that he thought about it, Shinji thought the existence of Kensuke at the party was pissy enough for the vibrant redhead.

****

Then the time finally came. Just 15 minutes after Kensuke arrived; the rest of the party came, not including the special guest, though. Hikari was going to bring her at promptly 6:30, no later, she said. Shinji was sitting on the couch with Rei talking to her about the party. 

"I've been planning this for weeks," He said, feeling a sense of importance. "This is a surprise party, so luckily, she hasn't found out about it yet."

Rei looked somewhat confused. "What is the purpose for a surprise party when the person will find out about it when he or she walks through the door?"

Shinji looked into Rei's lovely red eyes and smiled his usual kawaii smile that he always showed towards Rei and her innocence to the world around her. "The point of the surprise is the reaction from when she enters the apartment." He saw Touji rushing over and giving him the "cut" signal. That, Shinji knew, meant that Asuka and Hikari were on their way up.

Before even letting anyone else make a sound, Shinji shut them all up and told them to hide. Everyone hid somewhere elusive but Rei simply sat on the couch. Before taking shelter in the closet, Kensuke turned off the couch. No one noticed that Rei was still on the couch when the lights went off. Before the front door was completely opened, a thump was heard as the two girls entered the room. 

"Shinji?" Asuka said. "Shinji? You home? Misato?"

Then before anything else could happen, Kensuke flipped on the lights and out of their hiding places everyone jumped and screamed: "Surprise!" Little did they know, that behind the couch where Shinji hid, Rei was clutching the young boy down behind the furniture in a warm embrace, kissing him deeply. Knowing that Asuka would see this, Shinji ducked under Rei and managed to come out without Asuka seeing he was down with her.

"A party? For me!? Oh, Shinji, thank you!" The redheaded girl dropped her school bags and rushed towards the redding young boy. Before he could hide his embarrassment at what Rei was doing, Asuka took him in a hug and kissed him on the cheek. 

"Heh. No problem, A-A-suka. Y-you only turn 16 once."

Asuka smiled and let go of the poor third child. If she had done anything else, Shinji thought he would've had a nosebleed right then and there. Why always me, he thought; and why always at the most inopportune times?

"Shinji, you Casanova!" Kensuke shouted from the closet area. "First Rei, now Asuka. WOW!" That did it. She was only there for two minutes, but now Asuka had gotten sick of the stooge. Growling with all her German might, she rushed the stooge out of the apartment and sent him flying into the outside corridors; a big grin on his face. somehow, she thought, he was beginning to like these little charades.

****

The night had continued without flaw. Kensuke showed back up and slowly trotted himself next to his shield, Touji and Shinji. Cowering like the little puppy he was, Kensuke whispered to Shinji, Asuka looked at the geek stooge with a snarl on her face.

"Oh!" Shinji said after hearing the words from Kensuke. "Ken brought us a Karaoke Machine to try out for the party. So I thought, since it was her party, that Asuka should go first."

Almost spitting all her punch on Hikari sitting next to her, Asuka choked and coughed and then stood up, looking angrily at the Third Child. Shinji flinched and then pulled back for the inevitable punch or slap. But nothing happened. It so happens that Asuka settled down and actually began to become ecstatic about it. "You all will be able to hear my wonderful and beautiful singing voice."

Taking the book of song titles from the floor next to the machine she flipped through it. Stopping on a page she pointed towards the song she wanted. "Sarah McLachlan's Angel. That's what I'll sing; a beautiful love ballad for my Shinji-kun." She giggled and Shinji turned red.

Punching the numbers in, Kensuke handed his nemesis the microphone and plugged his ears for the inevitable. And with one moment of silence, the music started and the sound of Asuka's voice filled the room, emanating from two speakers attached to the machine.

_"Spend all your time waiting   
for that second chance   
for a break that would make it okay   
there's always one reason   
to feel not good enough   
and it's hard at the end of the day   
I need some distraction   
oh beautiful release   
memory seeps from my veins   
let me be empty   
and weightless and maybe   
I'll find some peace tonight"_

Shinji watched in awe as the beautiful redhead sang the lovely melody. The emotions that flowed from the beautiful piano ballad and the soothing voice of Asuka Langley Sohryu; God, he thought, she did have an amazing voice. Is there anything not amazing about this girl? Laying back and taking in the mood, Shinji began to dream

~*~*~*~

Asuka stood in front of him in a beautiful velvet red dress. With ruby red shoes, reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz, and a bright white necklace laden with bright blue diamonds; Asuka's physique was so enthralling that Shinji almost collapsed on the spot, but before he could say a word, the budding beauty took his hand and pulled him close. The words that seemed to float out of nowhere, coated with Asuka's soothing voice, urged the couple to dance.

_"In the arms of an angel   
fly away from here   
from this dark cold hotel room   
and the endlessness that you fear   
you are pulled from the wreckage   
of your silent reverie   
you're in the arms of the angel   
may you find some comfort there"_

The room around them was spinning. A crystal-like dancing ball rotated on its axis. The floor was illuminated with multi-colored dots, holograms, and confetti filled the crevices of the dark black dancing floor. They were the only ones in the room. Continuing their dance, Asuka moved Shinji's hand lower, from the crease of her back down to her butt. Feeling this, Shinji yelped in surprise, and tried to move his hand back up. As the piano sound more and more flowed around the room, Asuka, noticing Shinji's slight change in movement, moved his hand back to her posterior. "Ah Ah, Third Child, you will keep that hand where I put it." She grinned as he gulped in relief and in nervousness.

_"So tired of the straight line   
and everywhere you turn   
there's vultures and thieves at your back   
and the storm keeps on twisting   
you keep on building the lie   
that you make up for all that you lack   
it don't make no difference   
escaping one last time   
it's easier to believe in this sweet madness oh   
this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees"_

The room began to fade. No! Shinji screamed. I don't want to leave. I like it here! But his thoughts and silent cries went unheard. Waking, the boy saw that Asuka was still singing But this time, she was on his lap, with her hair dangling down her shoulders, briskly brushing his legs.

_"In the arms of an angel   
fly away from here   
from this dark cold hotel room   
and the endlessness that you fear   
you are pulled from the wreckage   
of your silent reverie"_

With no help from his friends to get the vibrant young teen off him-Touji just sat in shock, holding his glass of punch in the middle of the path from his hand to his mouth; Kensuke just gawked, but did look shocked, and jealous-Shinji laid back and let the sounds of Asuka's angelic voice take him over. He had no choice But he wasn't complaining anymore.

_"You're in the arms of the angel   
may you find some comfort there   
you're in the arms of the angel   
may you find some comfort here."_

The song ended and Shinji was in heaven at last. The girl of his dreams was on his lap, singing to him and all was well on Earth. Before she came back to reality, Asuka gave the blushing boy a hard kiss on the lips, making everyone in the room gasp. Touji and Kensuke jumped away from the couple and began screaming. Then when the ravishing red haired girl came to, she saw what she was doing and nearly screamed so loud that the apartment would have shook. But before she could say a thing, her friend, Hikari took a hold of her arm and dragged Asuka into her room, quietly closing the door behind her. But not before a sound of Asuka's coughing and spitting could be heard from her room.

The room fell silent then. Touji and Kensuke just stared at Shinji. Stared but smiled. The reaction Shinji didn't expect came from Ayanami. She sat quietly on the couch and looked a little sad. Was it because Asuka was singing the song for him? He tried to say something, but nothing came out. He heard a clapping noise, but this didn't come from any of the other stooges. This came from Ken's friend, Carl. Grinning from ear to ear, he approached the young Ikari and shook his hand. "I must say, Ikari, you sure do have that woman twirled around your little finger, don't you. I've heard what Kensuke's had to say about her, but I never thought such a woman to be changed so by a man like you." He had called Shinji a "man." This was something Shinji hadn't heard him being called At all So the idea of Shinji having now become a man made the boy smile. 

"It's nothing, really," Shinji said, blushing redder than a wild cherry. "She just got into the moment, that's all. I'm sorry about her-"

"Oh, don't be sorry," Carl said, putting his hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Actually I was quite entertained, watching her sing to you, and your reaction was what I expected. But good thing you didn't get a bloody nose. That would have been really embarrassing, eh, Shinji?" Shinji still as red as ever slouched into the crevices of the couch. But inside, Ikari Shinji knew he enjoyed it.  


Author's Notes: This story has been in the process of writing for a while and I couldn't even tell you when I began writing it. When I thought of this idea I really liked it. And I even experimented with writing a songfic with my story "With Arms Wide Open" and it got some positive reviews. I promise that this will be better and more in-character than WAWO. Each chapter with focus on a new song and a different character. I created Carl Martin, he's an american who moved to Okinawa with his single father who works for the power plant there. He's going to be singing Our Lady Peace songs only. This is my absolute favorite band and I just had to give them a song or two in here. I will also maybe include a song by Gackt, who I just recently got into thanks to a friend of mine. Hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it--I know, everyone says that, but it's true.


End file.
